Advertisement

‘Dames are in’: Twin sculptures are an Australian milestone

Students pose for photographs next to the statues of Australia's first women federal parliamentarians Dame Enid Lyons and Dame Dorothy Tangney, unveiled in Canberra on Wednesday.

Students pose for photographs next to the statues of Australia's first women federal parliamentarians Dame Enid Lyons and Dame Dorothy Tangney, unveiled in Canberra on Wednesday. Photo: AAP

Statues of Australia’s two first federal female politicians were unveiled at Old Parliament House on Wednesday, marking a milestone for Canberra’s parliamentary zone.

The statues of Dame Dorothy Tangney and Dame Enid Lyons are the first of women to appear in the zone.

They are close to the Women’s Suffrage Commemorative Fountain in the adjacent rose gardens. Sculptor Lis Johnson said honoured the trailblazing women in a social media post on Wednesday.

“Dames are in! Yay! Big relief,” she wrote on Instagram.

In an earlier statement, she said the twin works “put the spotlight on the two dames as high-achieving women who did a lot of important work to improve education and public health”.

“I think it is befitting that the sculptures of Dame Dorothy Tangney and Dame Enid Lyons will be unveiled at a time when there are now many women making a mark in Parliament,” Johnson said.

Territories Minister Kristy McBain – the first woman to represent the NSW seat of Eden-Monaro – unveiled the twin statues early on International Women’s Day in a ceremony attended by people from both sides of politics.

“To be the person unveiling the statue of the first women who entered federal parliament and really paved the way for women after them to stand up for women’s issues at a national level, [and who were] also advocates of social justice, issues for education, and for peace, is going to be something really special for me,” she said.

“It’s going to be very special because that old saying, ‘You can’t be what you can’t see,’ is true. And these two women really laid down the pathway that many of us have followed.”

Dame Enid Lyons was the wife of PM Joseph “Honest Joe” Lyons, who died in office in 1939. She was elected to the Tasmanian seat of Darwin in 1943, becoming the first female member of the House of Representatives.

At the same election, Dame Dorothy Tangney was elected to the Senate.

Dame Enid went on to be sworn in as vice-president of the executive council in 1949, becoming the first female member of federal cabinet.

She later complained that it was “a toothless position”, doubting that the then PM Sir Robert Menzies wanted her in cabinet at all because “they only wanted me to pour the tea”.

Dame Enid resigned from cabinet in 1951 and did not contest the next election.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Lyons’ granddaughter, Professor Rosemary Ainslie presented the Bible on which Australia’s most prominent political couple swore their oaths of office to Speaker Milton Dick.

Mr Dick said not only was it a family treasure, but it carried a “rich history during the first century of Australian democracy”.

Professor Ainslie said it had been hard to hand over the Bible after so many years in the family’s care.

She said she initially considered handing it over to the Australian embassy in Washington DC, which has a room dedicated to Ms Lyons.

“But upon reflection I thought no, it is Australia’s history, it should stay in Australia,” Professor Ainslie said.

“It is a tangible connection to both my grandparents.

“It is a symbol of two people who made a significant and selfless contribution to the country that they love.”

-with AAP

Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.